Process of destructive decomposition of organic substances



easily being dissolved at a comparatively low temperature in caustic soda so Patented Nov; 23, 1926. 4 I

1,608,075 PATENT OFFICE.

UNITED STATES JOHAN HUGO WALLIN, OF DJ URSHOLM, SWEDEN.

PROCESS OF DESTRUG'IIVE DECOMPOSITION 01s ORGANIC SUBSTANCES.

No Drawing. Application filed April 18, 1923, Serial No. 632,981, and in Sweden August 26, 1920.

The present inven ion refersto a method of producing from organic substances, for

example, Waste cellulose liquor, tar, phenols, wood (saw-dust etc.), straw, grass, leaves, peat, brown-coal etc., fish refuse etc., acids, oils, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, amines, ammonia etc. The characteristics of the invention consist in that these substances are heated toa temperature of more than 250 C. and that the pressure he kept at least at the corresponding steam pressure, with an excess of a solution of caustic alkali. (or a mixture of caustic alkali and carbonate of an alkali metal) the excess being such that it is capable of reacting with all the acids formed. The heating is preferably accomplished by pumping the solution through pipes or other devices wherein the hydrogen developed during the, process comes into intimate contact with the solution or possibly an autoclave may be used. Alcohols, alde hydes, oils, amines, ketones etc. developed during the heating process are separated from the solutionby distillation, after which the acids in some suitable manner are recovv +Naooocm+mo Cellulose and sugar+H O will give certain combines with hydrogen more easily than common phenol.

Certain solid substances permit of their ONa COONa ution, for example,-wood (at about 180 0. fish ref, use, straw, grass, ayes, etc., and 1t may then be of advantage In ake the solution in the kind of organic refuse), which are to be 65 treated directly, are mixed in. very finely pulverized condition in a proper quantity of an alkali solution. The solutions or mixtures, as the case maybe, obtained inany suitable manner are heated to a temperature of 250 to 600 C. and subjected to a pressure of 40 to 500 atmospheres while"being pumped through a tubular system or some other suitable apparatusor in an autoclave. The quantity of alkali, shall as stated above, be such that it is able to react with all the acids formed during the process. The admixture of soda (Na .CO,) will probably form organic salts with existing or deve oped phenols. Generally, caustic alkali is regenerated from a preceding process by causticizing the dry distillation residue with lime, whereby a part of the sodium carbonate remains .unchanged. so that the addition of sodium carbonate will be superfluous. The process is carried out in sucha manner that the hydrogen developed will be added to the unsaturated organic salts formed. which are more easily hydrogenated than the original high-molecular substances. The higher -OH concentration in the alkali solution facilitates the addition of H O to the high molecular substances and forms acids and other compounds of lesser molecular weight. The hydrogen results from the decomposition of the formates which are produced during the reaction.

Alcohols, aldehydes, some ketones, oils, and amines (ammonia) are distilled from "the liquid reaction mixture. The nitrogen in the raw material is present in the exhaust gases (for example in the case of fish refuse in large quantities) and can be recovered, for instance by washing the gases with sulphuric j acid, sulphate of ammonium, (NI-1,) .SO,,

or sulphate of amines, for instance,

a (N. .501 CH3. 2

The organic salts formed may be utilized in various ways, for example by the well known tion. I

methyl-ketone, pentaphenol, methyl alcohol, name to this As examples of compounds which can. be produced bymeans of this process may be mentioned acetone 1 dimethyl ketone), ethylsodium acetate, sodium 'adipate. etc.

lVhat I claim is: s

1. The method of destructively decomposing organic substances, which comprises heating the organic substances under pressure with a solution of caustic alkali, the alkali being in excess suflicie'ntly great to react with all acids formed during the process, a temperature of not less than 250 C. and a pressure between 40 and 500 atmospheres being maintained.

2. The method of destructively decomposing organic substances, which comprises heating the organic substances under pres sure with a solution of caustic alkali, the alkali being in excess sufiiciently great to re act with all acids formed during the process, a temperature of not less than 250 C. and a pressure between 40- and 500 atmospheres being maintained, distilling oil the volatile products formed during the heating process, and treating the residual organic saline solution for recovering organic acids and ketones therefrom.

3. The method of destructively decomposing organic substances, which comprises pumping said substances under pressure toether with a solution of caustic alkali t rough a heating system thereby to facili-- tate the action of any hydrogen formed during the process, thealkali being in excess sufliciently great to react with all acids formed during the process, a temperature of not lessthan 250 C. and a pressure of at least 40 atmospheres being maintained.

4. The method of destructively decomposing organic substances, which comprises dissolving said substances in caustic alkali, and heating under pressure, together with a solution of caustic alkali, the alkali being in excess sufficiently great to react with' all acids formed during the process, a temper- 100.

ature of not less than 250 C. and a pressure of not less than 40 atmospheres being maintained.

5. The method of destructively decomposing organic substances, which comprises heating the organic substances under pressure with a solution of caustic alkali. the alkali being in excess sufficiently great to react with all acids formed during the process,

a temperature of not less-than 250 C. and 1l a pressure between 40' and 500 atmospheres being maintained, evaporating the remain- ,ing solution, and dry-distilling the residual organic acid salts thereby to recover addi: tional volatile products.

In testimony whereof I have signed my specification.

JOHAN HUGO WALLIN. 

